Reader Contribution
Interesting Quote
''Why of course the people don't want war. But after all it is the leaders
of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to
drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship,
or a parliament,or a communist discatorship. Voice or no voice, the people
can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you
have to do is to tell them that they are being attacked, and denounce the
pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger.''
~~ Hermann Goering, Nazi leader, at the
Nuremberg Trials.
Thought the above was interesting. I'm glad there's
Bartcop and a link to
more people who think we were being governed by an axis of evil.
--Yvette G
Great quote, Yvette!
And yes, you are not alone. : )
Holy Spit!
A Note From Michele K.
Michele K of
fame dropped a line to say that
Betty Bowers, herself (and we all know she is a better Christian than anyone), has contributed a
recipe for the files!
And, the ever-industrious Michele, has also added a search engine to her site!
Reader Suggestion
''XTC''
But that heavy breathing that you hear is from we XTC fans panting in
anticipation.
Best known amongst the 'Xuggles' (that's non-XTC mega-fans) for 'Dear God'
and 'Peter Pumpkin Head', XTC has a devoted and rabid fan base who have
followed them through all of their ups and downs (of which there have been
many) and we are about to reap our karmic reward with this 'classical' work!
All Hail Andy Partridge!
(snip)
'' The up-and-down career of Britain's XTC will be celebrated with a four-disc
box set due for release in March.
The set, dubbed "A Coat Of Many Cupboards," was compiled with the
participation of XTC's Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding and features 60
tracks spanning the group's time with Virgin (the group has since left the
label), EMI/Virgin announced.
Disc one, which covers the years 1977 to 1979, includes a demo of "Science
Fiction",recorded for CBS records, before the group had signed to Virgin; a
live version of "Spinning Top"; a Mutt Lange produced version of "This Is
Pop"; a discarded recording of "Life Begins At The Hop"; a demo of "Making
Plans For Nigel"; and the outtake "Sleepyheads."
Disc two covers 1979 through 1981 and includes a live version of "Meccanik
Dancing"; an alternate take of "Reel By Real"; a rehearsal of "Generals And
Majors"; a recording of Partridge as he writes "Senses Working Overtime";
and a version of "Ball And Chain" produced by Clive Langer and Alan
Winstanley.
Disc three covers the period from 1981 to 1986 and includes a
Langer/Winstanley production of "Punch And Judy"; the song "Fly On The
Wall"; an Old Grey Whistle Test performance of "Yacht Dance"; the demo for
"Grass"; and Dave Gregory's home demo for "Dear God."
Disc four runs from 1987 to 1992 and includes the B-side "Terrorism"; a
writing-session tape for "Mayor Of Simpleton"; the demo for "The Ballad Of
Peter Pumpkin Head"; and a BBC recording of "Books Are Burning." ''
(snip)
XTC Review
Official XTC site
The Best Site About XTC¹ Site: Chalkhills
Walk in Light and Love,
Wren Walker
Check out Wren's site, The Witches' Voice
From 'TBH Politoons'
Great Site!
Thanks, again, Tim!
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Got the day off to a good start -- Peter Boyle was a guest on KTLA, channel 5 in LA's excuse for morning
news. Watch the movies 'Joe', then 'Young Frankenstein'....then an episode of 'Raymond'. Best
actor working on TV today, for my money.
Jeez, I hate to admit it, but reruns sent me to 'The Glutton Bowl'...experienced a fascination somewhere between
driving by a gory car accident & wanting to stare, and finding something gross on the sidewalk & wanting to poke a stick
in it. The round of all those burly men eating those tongues reminded me of a porn version of 'Night Of The Living Dead'.
And that Japanese guy, Takeru Kobyashi was amazing!
In Late-Night-Land, loved seeing Dave's Mom, and her interview with Donald Rumsfeld actually bordered on charming!
Tonight, Friday, CBS offers up '48 Hours' and a movie, 'Primal Fear'.
Continuing their trend, the programming geniuses at ABC have decided to show their utter contempt for their audience by presenting the same line-up
4 nights this week, all reruns, of course. It's 'My Wife & Kids', 'Jim', 'Drew
Carey', and 'Whose Line'. Tonight this celebration of crap is followed by '20/20'.
The WB has a fresh night, with 'Sabrina', 'Raising Dad', 'Reba', and 'Maybe It's Me'.
Faux trots out the TV debut of 'Lost In Space'.
UPN has 'Lethal Weapon 3'.
AMC celebrates cheese with 'Valley Of The Gwangi' and 'It Conquered The World', with Peter Graves (who is
the brother of 'Gunsmokes' Matt Dillon, James Arness).
Dennis Miller, the greatest disappointment since 'New Coke' has a fresh show on HBO, but I don't know who
the guest is at the moment. Not that it matters much.
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
''Polar Express''
Zemeckis - Hanks
Filmmaker Robert Zemeckis will reunite with his "Cast Away" star, Tom Hanks, in "Polar Express," an f/x-driven event picture
based on Chris Van Allsburg's children's book of the same title.
Zemeckis will develop and produce the big-budget project for Castle Rock Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures, with an eye
to directing. "Cast Away" scribe William Broyles has already written a treatment.
Zemeckis - Hanks
'The Ragin' Cajun'
James Carville
He's a pit bull who maybe should be on a leash, but Democratic hitman James Carville makes no apologies for gnawing at the ankles
of the Bush administration. "All of the things that were in play prior to Sept. 11 are still in play," the Ragin' Cajun tells the
March issue of Details magazine. "Health care costs are going up 14 percent, the surplus is now a deficit, the economy is not
doing any better," he claims. "The Enron fiasco has yet to play itself out. So there a lot of things on the table here and a lot
of those things are going to be good for Democrats."
James Carville
''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen''
Sean Connery
Sean Connery is in final negotiations to star in "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," a period thriller starring famous literary characters.
He'd play Allan Quatermain, the capo of a group of superpowered individuals culled from great adventure literature: Mina Harker from
"Dracula," the Invisible Man, Dr. Henry Jekyll, Captain Nemo, Dorian Gray and their American liaison, police detective Thomas Sawyer.
Sensing trouble for the Empire in the future, Queen Victoria has the British Secret Service secretly put the seemingly disparate team
together to stop a villain intent on turning the nations of the world against one another for his own personal gain.
Sean Connery
Jeez, initially I thought it was 'League of Gentlemen'....oh well.
Always The Practical Joker?
George Clooney
George Clooney is rolling in dough, but he's not beneath scamming free pastry from unsuspecting eateries. Clooney, who's filming
"Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" in Montreal, was dining with Steven Soderbergh and co-star Matt Damon at a local Italian joint
the other night when he told the waiter it was Soderbergh's birthday, prompting him to bring out a cake and serenade the "Ocean's 11"
director. But when one of the cuties at Clooney's table ran into the ladies room, she confided, "It's not Steven's birthday. We
do this everywhere so we can get free cake."
George Clooney
Not 'Licensed To Shag'
Austin Powers Title TBA
The rumor that New Line Cinema had chosen "Licensed to Shag" as the new title for its third Austin Powers film whipped
through movie fan Internet sites Wednesday like an Aston Martin on ice.
There was only problem: "It's completely erroneous," a studio spokeswoman said. "We don't even like the title."
New Line is still shopping for a new name for the summer release, she said. The Motion Picture Assn. of America hit the
company with up to $15 million in penalties when James Bond franchise owner MGM protested New Line's failure to register
the previous "Austin Powers in Goldmember" title properly.
Austin Powers Title TBA
More McCartneys On The Horizon?
Heather & Paul
Is Paul McCartney planning on becoming a father at the ripe old age of 59? Eagle-eyed shoppers in London caught his fiancee, Heather
Mills, shopping for pre-natal vitamin supplements at her local drugstore. Asked about it, Mills said they were for a friend, but she
and McCartney have talked about having kids in the past. London tabs note Mills has said she wants nothing more than to "start a family."
Heather & Paul
T3's Terminatrix
Kristanna Loken
Newcomer Kristanna Loken will be the terminatrix who goes up against Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines."
Loken, a 22-year-old actress who starred in such TV series as "D.C." and "Philly" and the film "Panic," has landed the much coveted role
of the TX, a cyborg even more sophisticated than Robert Patrick's liquid-metal T-1000 in 1991's "Terminator 2: Judgement Day." She is
pitted against Schwarzenegger's T-800 cyborg character in the big-budget film to be directed by Jonathan Mostow this spring in Los Angeles.
"T3" picks up the story a decade after the sequel, when a twentysomething John Connor reteams with his cyborg protector to battle the TX.
Edward Furlong, who played John Connor in "Judgement Day," will not reprise his role.
Kristanna Loken
Impending Nuptials For 'Dawson's Creek' Cast
McComb & Van Der Beek; Hillis & Smith
"Dawson's Creek" co-stars James Van Der Beek and Kerr Smith are getting married.
The 25-year-old Van Der Beek, who stars as moody college dropout Dawson Leery on the WB show, is engaged to actress Heather
McComb, who's appeared in "Party of Five."
Smith, 29, who plays the show's openly gay character Jack McPhee, proposed to his girlfriend, Ali Hillis (MTV's "Undressed"),
according to "E! News Daily."
"Dawson's Creek," which premiered in January 1998, was an immediate hit as it tapped into the teen-angst market and set the stage
for other WB shows like "Felicity" and "Gilmore Girls."
McComb & Van Der Beek; Hillis & Smith
Look Who's Back
Benji
Benji is back, and she's dreaming of Christmas.
The creator of the original film, Joe Camp, has pacted with film financier Myriad Pictures to write and direct a new addition to the franchise.
"Benji Returns: The Promise of Christmas" is a contemporary Dickensian-themed drama in which Benji challenges a misguided dogcatcher while
struggling to provide Christmas to a pair of poverty-stricken children.
The project will feature a new Benji, a female mutt found wandering as a stray on the back streets of Pass Christian, Miss., after a five-month
nationwide search scouring animal shelters and rescue centers. The canine is already in training with dog expert Anne Gordon, with
consultation from Benji's original trainer, Frank Inn.
Shooting is expected to start in April in Canada.
Benji
Carved Vegetables
In China
First lady Laura Bush looks at a dragon made from carved vegetables during a cooking demonstration by Chinese chefs from the
Shannxi Cuisine Training College at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, February 21, 2002 with Li Jixian (L), headmistress of the college.
No stone was left unturned to impress Bush during the visit.
Photo by Ju Peng
Signed To Clive Davis' ''J'' Records
Rod Stewart
After being released from Atlantic Records three months ago, rock veteran Rod Stewart has found a new home with Clive Davis' J
Records. The terms of the multi-album pact weren't disclosed, but Stewart has already begun recording a new set for the label,
with a planned October release date.
The 57-year-old singer became a free agent after 26 years when he parted ways with Atlantic last December. The Warner Music imprint
dropped several well-known acts late last year -- including Collective Soul, Tori Amos and Sinead O'Connor -- in a bid to pare down
its roster of expensive contracts with stars perceived to be on the wane.
Rod Stewart
Visiting TV Judge
Ike Turner
Ike Turner has a history of legal problems - but this time he's making the accusations on Friday's episode of "Judge Joe Brown".
But on tomorrow's "Judge Joe Brown," Turner claims his friend, entertainer Elena DaVinci, has reneged on her promise to reimburse him for two electric
guitars stolen from her backyard during a birthday party featuring Turner's band.
DaVinci had hired Turner's band to play at a party for James Lewis, Turner's former guitarist (with whom DaVinci was romantically involved).
Turner appeared on "Judge Joe Brown" once before, in September 1998, when he sued an "Ikette," one of his backup singers.
Turner won that case - and he also wins tomorrow's case as Brown orders DaVinci to fork over $4,800 to cover the cost of Turner's guitars.
Ike Turner
Bringing The 'War' Home
VH1
"The War Room" producer R.J. Cutler has signed up for a new battle: Bringing home the war on terrorism to VH1 viewers.
The music cable channel has begun production on a new reality series that will give U.S. servicemen and -women fighting in
Operation Enduring Freedom a chance to tell the stories of their lives through video diaries. Roughly 90 military personnel,
selected in part because of their passion for music, will be supplied with videocams and instructed to film various elements of their daily lives.
The Dept. of Defense is cooperating with the project but will not have any control over which footage gets on the air. Soldiers on
the USS Stennis (stationed in the waters near Afghanistan), and those on bases in Kuwait and Camp Pendleton, have been equipped with cameras.
The series will use music as a sort of "soundtrack to people's lives," according to Fred Graver, VH1's senior VP for programming and production.
The VH1 project will be different from other announced shows because it won't involve camera crews.
VH1, Bringing The 'War' Home
German Magazine Cover
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel Cover
The Dylan Pool
Bob Dylan
He may not know it, but when Bob Dylan plays Dallas Friday night, more than 1,000 people far from the arena will pay very close attention.
Fans of the veteran troubadour have launched an intricate Internet pool built on their predictions of what Dylan sings in concert.
There are nearly 1,800 people from 53 countries trying to guess the set list for his current tour, which ends Sunday.
The site www.pool.dylantree.com was started a year ago by 24-year-old Canadian graduate student and computer expert Arthur Louie, and has quickly grown.
Participants pick a set of songs, which are given point values: low for the songs Dylan plays most frequently, high for ones he plays rarely.
His unpredictability is legendary. Larry Shapiro, 46, an environmental attorney from New York City, says he's moved up to 149th place
in the current competition mostly because he's given up trying to stay a step ahead of the maestro.
Winners of the game actually receive prizes, though Dylan might not appreciate them. The grand prize for the current competition is a
CD box set of bootlegged Dylan concerts.
Bob Dylan
New Friday Night Block
ABC Family
ABC Family will launch a Friday night block March 1 with shows including "State of Grace" and ABC network series "According to Jim" and "Alias."
The second season of "Grace," a series that got its start on the cable channel when it was called Fox Family Channel, will premiere at 8 p.m., followed
by "Jim" and "Alias." Both of those shows will air in sequence from the shows' premiere episodes.
In a twist of programming fate, that means ABC Family will air scripted programming on the night while its much larger broadcast
network parent -- which once ruled Fridays with "TGIF" programming -- continues to air reality fare such as "America's Funniest
Home Videos" and a parade of specials.
ABC Family
Scheduled To Perform At The Grammy Awards
Bono & Bob
Bob Dylan, OutKast and Joshua Bell are among the latest confirmed performances for the 44th annual Grammy Awards telecast Feb. 27
at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya and Pink will perform their cover of "Lady Marmalade" from the "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack, with
Missy Elliott joining them onstage.
These performances join the lineup of previously announced artists including Alan Jackson, Alicia Keys, Alejandro Sanz with Destiny's
Child, the Dave Matthews Band, 'N Sync with Nelly, Train and U2.
Bonnie Raitt, Ja Rule and Michael W. Smith have been added to the list of presenters, which includes Britney Spears, Diana Krall, the
Dixie Chicks, Gloria Estefan, Gwen Stefani, Janet Jackson and Kid Rock, the Grammy organization announced Tuesday.
Scheduled To Perform At The Grammy Awards
For The Governor's Ball - After The Oscars
Chef Wolfgang Puck
Chef Wolfgang Puck is in a planning a culinary frenzy for the Governor's Ball after the Oscars.
The chef plans to serve lobster salad, tuna tartare, crabcakes, baby blintzes, beet salad with goat cheese and asparagus, caviar,
New York steak and salmon with sesame seeds. He says he comes up with the menu himself and doesn't take suggestions from anyone.
However, he is prepared if people have special vegetarian or kosher needs.
"Everyone is going to end up being happy," he says. "And for dessert, 99.9% of people love chocolate so it's not going to be a problem."
Chef Wolfgang Puck
Not Appearing On ''Sex And The City''
Britney Spears
Britney Spears won't be in an upcoming episode of "Sex and the City."
HBO is denying a New York Post report that said Spears will guest on the show.
The Post had reported Monday that she'd play Samantha's niece who seduces her boyfriend. Samantha is played by Kim Cattrall,
who play's Spears' mom in the movie "Crossroads."
Britney Spears
Writing Narrative Non-Fiction
Sting
Sting has signed a deal with the Bantam Dell Publishing Group to write his first work of narrative nonfiction, the publisher announced.
The hardcover book is expected to be published in 2004.
Sting
Actor/Director/Fugitive
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski says he couldn't miss the chance to appear in a new film by Andrzej Wajda, who directed Polanski 47 years ago.
"It's a great role and a great pleasure to meet Andrzej on the film set after all those years," Polanski told a news conference Wednesday
during a break in filming for "The Vengeance" at Ogrodzieniec castle, about 125 miles south of Warsaw.
Polanski had a role in Wajda's 1955 movie, "A Generation," and later studied film directing.
"I like both things and I feel comfortable on both sides of the camera," Polanski said, adding that he has no plans at present to direct a new movie.
Roman Polanski
'In the Time of the Butterflies'
Salma Hayek
Mexican actress Salma Hayek says she didn't want to wait for the movie industry to create more roles for Latin women, so created
one herself in the film "In the Time of the Butterflies."
The movie, based on the book by Julia Alvarez, tells the three stories of the Mirabal sisters, who were murdered on a remote
mountain road by secret police in 1960.
Hayek, who arrived Monday for the third Santo Domingo International Film Festival, said her job as the film's producer was a
"nightmare" but "somebody has to do it."
Salma Hayek
Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles
Darren Star
Sobering statistics were mixed with giddy wisecracks as gay rights group Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles saluted "Sex and the City" creator
Darren Star and HBO at the Century Plaza Hotel on Saturday.
Star was presented with his Humanitarian Award by "Sex" star Kim Cattrall. In a skintight, silver dress, a shimmering Cattrall shimmied to the
podium, blowing kisses to the crowd -- managing simultaneously to be a sexpot and to spoof that image.
Star said that for someone who works in L.A. and New York, "It's easy to believe that everyone is gay and Jewish," and easy to take freedoms
for granted. (Earlier, speakers had pointed out that in 38 states, it's still possible to be fired for being gay, and that in most places gay
or lesbian marriages and adoptions are verboten.)
Star deadpanned that a ban on gays adopting children "is not only ignorant, but it's a big problem for Prada's new baby line."
In presenting the Corporate Equality Award to HBO original programming president Chris Albrecht, Ellen DeGeneres joked that she assumed he
was going to be coming out of the closet.
"Seriously, everybody talks about it all the time. What straight man puts on 'Oz'?"
Celebs in attendance included actors Kyle MacLachlan and Kathy Kinney, "Will & Grace" co-creator Max Mutchnick, and hirsute
funnyman Bruce Vilanch. Political heavy-hitters included Gov. Gray Davis, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer.
Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles
Controversial Movie Poster
''Amen''
A French court refused on Thursday to ban a controversial film poster that has upset Roman Catholics because it merges a crucifix with a Nazi swastika.
The poster promotes film-maker Constantin Costa-Gavras's movie "Amen," a critical look at the Vatican's inaction during the Holocaust, with
the image of the arms and main shaft of a cross twisted into a swastika.
Paris judge Jean-Claude Magendie ruled there was nothing about the poster under the law that would warrant limiting freedom of expression.
AGRIF, a French anti-racism body with close links to far- right and traditional Catholic groups, had argued that the poster offended religious
sensitivities by associating "the symbol of absolute hatred and the symbol of absolute love."
Costa-Gavras, who attended the first court hearing on Tuesday, said he could not understand the uproar over the poster and hoped the real debate would be over his film.
''Amen''
On The Prowl?
Bo Derek
Bo Derek is perfectly happy being single, but would welcome her soul mate if he came along.
"Would I rather be in love? Yes," she said. "But I want to go from being perfectly happy alone to being in love forever. I don't
want anything in between. And I don't know how to accomplish that.
Derek married to her husband John at the age of 17. They were together for 24 years before he died in 1998.
"I jumped right into a relationship when I was very young," she said. "I am very vulnerable in that department, and I realize that.
Because I don't have experience, so I think I have to be especially careful."
Bo Derek
Facing Surgery
Roger Ebert
Film critic Roger Ebert will undergo surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his thyroid gland.
Ebert, 59, bounced back quickly from a similar procedure in 1987.
He said programs for his nationally broadcast "Ebert & Roeper and the Movies" television show have been taped in advance and he hoped
to return to work without missing a movie.
Ebert has been a film critic at the Sun-Times since 1967. He and rival Chicago Tribune critic Gene Siskel launched their movie
review show in 1975 — the same year Ebert won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism. Siskel died of complications from brain surgery
at age 53 in 1999. Roeper, a Sun-Times columnist since 1987, permanently joined Ebert on the show about two years ago.
Roger Ebert
''Looking For Fidel''
Oliver Stone
In a gesture usually reserved for visiting heads of state, Cuban President Fidel Castro on Thursday saw off U.S. filmmaker Oliver
Stone, who was in Cuba making a documentary on the communist leader.
Castro accompanied Stone to Havana airport at the end of a weeklong trip, during which the two were said to have spent considerable
time getting to know each other and working on the film, Radio Habana reported.
Stone, whose Academy Award-winning career has featured politically controversial films such as "JFK" and "Nixon,," sought to keep a low
profile in Cuba, where he is well-known and highly respected by the Caribbean island's cinema-savvy public.
The film publication Variety said the documentary, tentatively titled "Looking for Fidel," would include extensive interviews with the
75-year-old Castro and was being produced by Spanish film companies.
Oliver Stone
Wrongful Death & Negligence Suit Filed
Tommy Lee
The parents of a four-year-old boy who drowned in a swimming pool at the home of former Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee have filed a
lawsuit against him for wrongful death and negligence.
Daniel Karven-Veres died last June while attending a birthday party for Lee's son at the rock star's Malibu home. At the time,
Lee called the drowning a "tragic accident".
The suit filed by Daniel's parents, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court last Friday, alleges that there was no lifeguard, adult or
professional designated to ensure the safety of children at the pool, and that no one was on hand who was trained in life-saving techniques.
Tommy Lee
Not Going To Be A Space Cadet
Lance Bass
Teen idol Lance Bass, a singer with U.S. boy band 'NSYNC, will not become the world's first pop star in space, Russia's space agency said on Thursday.
Bass' agents and commercial space exploration company Mircorp had earlier expressed optimism the 22-year-old pop star would sign a $25
million deal for a seat on a Soyuz space taxi due to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) in October.
But Rosaviakosmos spokesman Sergei Gorbunov said the Russian agency had begun no such talks on the subject.
Dutch-based Mircorp was behind initial preparations to send up the world's first space tourist, U.S. millionaire Dennis Tito. But the final,
successful, deal was brokered by U.S. company Space Adventures.
"We are not a shop selling flights. There is a hard preparation process and it is not just about coming up and buying a flight," Gorbunov said.
"And I'm not even talking about the agreements it is necessary to reach with our partners."
"(Bass's flight) is just an advertising stunt, I can promise you," Gorbunov said. "This is better advertising than he could ever pay for."
Lance Bass
Thanks for the 'heads-up', Alex.
Public Service Announcements
PSA's
Television networks donate an average of 15 seconds per hour for public service advertisements, according to a study released on Wednesday.
Less than one-tenth of those ads come during prime-time. Nearly half of the time networks turn over to public service ads — 43 percent — come
between midnight and 6 a.m., according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Some high-profile campaigns, like anti-drugs or anti-smoking, have taken to simply buying advertising time from the networks. Thirty-five percent
of ads with a public service message on TV stations are paid for, the report said.
In a survey taken of 513 public service directors at television stations across the country, one in three said they were more likely to donate air
time to groups that buy ads, Kaiser said.
ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, which donate an average of 17 seconds per hour to PSAs, do better than cable networks, Kaiser said. CNN, ESPN, MTV, Nickelodeon
and TNT set aside only seven seconds per hour.
The dominant Spanish-language network, Univision, donates an average of 48 seconds per hour to PSAs, Kaiser said.
Public Service Announcements
'Son Of Sam' Law Overturned In CA
Kidnapper To Benefit
California's Supreme Court tossed out the state's "Son of Sam" law on Thursday, saying it was unconstitutional to bar criminals
like the one-time kidnapper of Frank Sinatra Jr. from cashing in on accounts of their exploits.
The court, ruling on a bid by Barry Keenan to sell the story of his bungled 1963 kidnapping of a then 19-year-old Sinatra to a
movie studio for as much as $1.5 million, overruled a state appeals court and said both state and federal free speech
guarantees allowed him to do so.
In a defeat for victims' rights advocates, the California Supreme Court found the state law overreached by blocking not only profits
derived from accounts of specific crimes but "all income from the criminal's speech or expression on any theme or subject, if
the story of the crime is included."
The California court, quoting the Supreme Court decision which invalidated New York's law, pointed out that both measures could have barred books
ranging from "Autobiography of Malcolm X" to the "Confessions of St. Augustine" because they detailed their authors' prior criminal activity.
Keenan, 61, a retired real estate broker who now works for criminal justice reform in Texas, told Reuters the ruling was a "bittersweet victory" for
freedom of speech but of little value to him.
"It's good for the constitution," Keenan said, adding, "It's been a nightmare for me." He claims the kidnapping took place on a whim and that Sinatra
treated it as a prank. But he added that years later -- long after he had spent five years in prison -- negative publicity from the case forced him to
retire from the real estate business and lose millions of dollars in expected fees.
'Son Of Sam' Law Overturned In CA
Latest Broadway Musical
''The Color Purple''
Alice Walker's "The Color Purple" is the latest literary property-turned-movie to get the Broadway musical treatment.
Creatives aboard include director Matthew Warchus, who helmed the "Follies" revival last season on Broadway; book writer Regina
Taylor, whose play "Drowning Crow," an adaptation of Chekhov's "The Seagull," recently finished its run at Chicago's Goodman
Theater; and songwriters Allee Willis (the "Friends" theme), Brenda Russell (Barbra Streisand) and Stephen Bray (Madonna).
It will be produced by Scott Sanders, who is represented on Broadway with "Elaine Stritch at Liberty."
''The Color Purple''
Stating The Obvious?
Jimmy Carter
Former President Jimmy Carter on Thursday criticized President Bush's labeling three countries an "axis of evil," saying the
statement was "overly simplistic and counterproductive."
"I think it will take years before we can repair the damage done by that statement," said Carter, speaking at an Emory University
conference on the impact of terrorism.
Carter also said the growing gap between the rich and the poor continues to be the world's greatest challenge, although he noted
that many terrorists falsely claim to be among the world's destitute.
"We are very concerned now about terrorism. Osama bin Laden is not poor, he's very rich - and the people who committed those horrible
acts on Sept. 11 were not poor," he said.
Jimmy Carter
Adding Sound Effects To News Story
KLAS - Las Vegas
During its 11 p.m. newscast on Feb. 13, KLAS Channel 8 aired a 3 1/2-minute package on a fatal shooting that took place at Harrah's
in the fall of 2000. The package contained footage, provided by the hotel-casino's surveillance cameras, which showed security guards
apprehending two alleged coin thieves, the suspects resisting, and finally one of them apparently drawing and firing a gun. A
guard was injured and a guest was killed.
While the shadowy footage made it difficult to follow the sequence of events, accompanying audio provided some assistance. Muffled
laughter could be heard in the background; slot machines clanged unrelentingly; and then two gunshots popped loudly.
However, the audio was not "natural"; it was dubbed in by KLAS, which apparently felt the exclusive footage (obtained from the Clark
County district attorney's office) wasn't dramatic enough on its own.
Mary Hausch, who teaches media ethics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, offered a contrasting opinion: "What [KLAS] did goes
completely against the Society of Professional Journalists' code of ethics. A basic [tenet] of television news is that if it's not happening,
don't make it happen. I think adding sound [to footage] definitely falls into that category.
"What they did was very deceptive," continued Hausch, noting that the station didn't disclose the artificial audio. "The video was dramatic
enough on its own that it didn't need to be embellished with sound."
According to the Radio-Television News Directors Association's code of ethics and professional conduct, journalists should not: "Manipulate
images or sounds in any way that is misleading."
KLAS - Las Vegas
Finally Returned To The Jewish Museum
''Study for 'Over Vitebsk'''
A stolen Marc Chagall painting worth $1 million has been returned to the Jewish Museum after turning up in a mailroom in Kansas.
"Study for 'Over Vitebsk'" was authenticated last week by Bella Meyer, a granddaughter of the artist and a leading authority on his work.
The 1914 painting, depicting an old man floating over a village with a walking stick and beggar's sack, was discovered missing
from a wall at the museum on the morning of June 8. A cocktail reception had been held at the museum the previous night.
The painting, a practice work for a larger, similar piece called "Over Vitebsk," was on loan at the museum from a private collection in Russia.
A group calling itself the International Committee for Art and Peace later said the painting would be returned only after the Israelis
and Palestinians made peace. The FBI said it had no knowledge of such an organization and had not heard from it since.
The painting surfaced in late January in a mail facility in Topeka, Kan., where it was opened because the package was declared undeliverable.
''Study for 'Over Vitebsk'''
Thanks for the 'heads up', Michele K.
In Memory
John Thaw
Actor John Thaw, known to millions of TV viewers worldwide as the grumpy, music-loving detective in "Inspector Morse," died
Thursday at 60 after a battle with throat cancer.
"John died with his family around him" at home, said Thaw's wife of 29 years, actress Sheila Hancock.
Thaw was a respected stage actor and had been a leading television actor for many years. But was he was indelibly identified with "Inspector
Morse" after creating a complex character whose flaws appealed to fans as much as his better qualities.
The highly praised British series began in 1985 and lasted for 33 two-hour episodes that aired over 15 years. "Inspector Morse" had a 13-run in
the United States on PBS' "Mystery" series, beginning in 1988, and was shown in many other countries.
Thaw was born in Manchester, northern England, on Jan. 3, 1942, the son of a long-distance truck driver. His mother left the family when he was 7.
After leaving school he worked as a baker and a laborer until a teacher who had seen him in school plays encouraged him to audition
for the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He won admission at 17.
His career began with a number of stage roles, followed by television work — often as policemen.
His first big success came as a belligerent, foul-mouthed cop in "The Sweeney," a popular police series that started in 1975 and lasted three years.
After Morse, Thaw went on to play a trial lawyer in "Kavanagh QC," also a success. Thaw reportedly was considering work in new
episodes at the time he died.
Thaw's marriage to Hancock in 1973 was the second for both. Each had a daughter from the previous marriage and they had one daughter
together. All three survive.
Thaw was honored in 1993 as a Commander of the Order of British Empire, or CBE, and last year won a British Academy Television
Awards fellowship, the organization's highest award. He received the academy's Best Actor award in 1990 and 1993 for "Inspector Morse."
John Thaw
In Memory
Carl Lindley
Carl Lindley, who, as a homesick Illinois soldier helping build the Alaska Highway during World War II, blazed a trail for
future travelers when he planted a hand-painted sign that read: "Danville, Illinois, 2,835 miles," died Wednesday. He was 83.
Lindley tacked up the sign in lonely Watson Lake, Yukon, as he was helping the United States finish the road, intended to protect
American outposts and shipping from Japanese strikes. He had no way of knowing that thousands of people - roughly 48,000 at last
count - would follow him to erect what Canadians believe is North America's largest "signpost forest."
A row of 20-foot-high totems now stretches a village block in Watson Lake. It is littered with everything from scribblings on
disposable pie plates to a yellow metal sign from Germany's autobahn. The wall of signs is a top tourist draw in Canada's Yukon Territory.
In 1992, Lindley and his wife, Elinor, returned for a 50th anniversary celebration.
Carl Lindley
This bank of signs in Watson Lake is something to behold. Watson Lake is a good place to spend the night when traveling
the AlCan.
BETTY BOWERS Cooks!
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
'Bob Woodward vs. John Belushi and Me'
Michael Dare - 'The Life and Death of Captain Preemo'
BartCop TV!
Watergate v$ Enron!
From BartCop
The Bush Rap (Sheet)
Special Bonus From BartCop
